The Center for Science in the Public Interest offers a paid internship program for students in undergraduate, graduate, law and medical schools, and we also consider postgraduates. These paid internships offer structured work experiences and an opportunity to:

  • Gain substantial knowledge of the policy-making process and the role science plays.
  • Participate in group meetings and strategy brainstorming sessions.
  • Obtain general research and communication skills by working closely with science, policy, legislative and outreach experts.
  • Meet with staff at all levels of the organization to discuss career roles and paths.
  • Assess professional interests and develop new skills.
photo of 2022 summer intern, Cristina Moraga Franco.

Testimonial

“This experience really opened my eyes to science-based advocacy and how scientific integrity—which I’ve always valued as a key personal value and aspect of scientific transparency—can lead to open and honest conversations, paving the way to improved and more equitable food systems... I am so thankful for my time in CSPI and for the wonderful team that I worked with.”

-Cristina Moraga Franco, CSPI Summer 2022 Intern

photo of 2022 summer intern, Laila Tabatabai.

Testimonial

"As the Public Health & Food Safety intern, I was able to combine my interests in veterinary medicine with greater public health issues affecting both human and animal health... This internship helped expose me to issues facing public health I was previously unaware of and several ways to mitigate these issues through policy, which I can bring back to my veterinary medicine education and future career. Overall, I truly enjoyed my internship experience at CSPI and recommend it to anyone that is interested."

-Laila Tabatabai, CSPI Summer 2022 Intern

Information for applicants

  • CSPI pays interns $16.10 an hour.
  • Internships are remote.
  • Our 10-week summer intern program is full-time. We begin advertising summer internships near the end of January.
    • We provide one paid holiday (July 4th) and up to 2 days of paid sick leave.
    • The ideal start date is end of May/early June, but we will work with applicants if there’s a schedule conflict. 
  • Our fall- and spring-semester intern program is part-time. Internship opportunities are generally advertised mid-May and mid-October for the Fall and Spring semesters, respectively.
    • Interns work 10 hours per week for 10 weeks.
    • Start and end dates and weekly schedules are flexible to accommodate work and school schedules.

Please see the internship description as application deadlines may vary.

If your background and interests are a good match for our internship, we will contact you using the information you have provided. Due to the volume of applications we typically receive we may not be able to provide additional information on our selection process to applicants who are not chosen for interviews.

CSPI is committed to including and valuing diverse voices and fostering a culture that ensures all staff feel a sense of belonging and are encouraged to be their best selves. Read our statement on diversity, equity, and inclusion here. Please contact the Human Resources office if you have any further questions.